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Hello All, 

 

So there's a pair of empty boards hidden away and I'm feeling the need, like every modeller, to build something on them. The problem is that I'm stuck as to what. I'm therefore looking for some sound (or otherwise) advice on what looks feasible, similar ideas or developments thereof and anything else that comes to mind. 

 

So first the basics: I've got two 120cm x 40cm boards. That gives me either 240 x 40 or 120 x 80 and these boards don't have to include the fiddle yard(s) (I've got enough room for that to be separate, if small). They have to be able to be taken apart and stored. I'm probably going to go for 00-SF, especially after following Stoke Courtenay. 

 

In terms of what I would like to gain from the layout there are a couple of key points: 

- learning to build hand-built track

- developing my kit building skills (and learning loco kit construction)

- attempting to reach a new level of realism 

- something achievable 

- operationally interesting 

- short trains 

- affordable (I'm a student!) 

- exhibitionable (and therefore presentable) 

 

I thought I would go through a couple of ideas that I've been looking at and see how they would match up. 

 

Coleshill (later Maxstoke) Station on the Stonebridge Railway: 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/coleshill.htm 

A very small station with even smaller trains. I like the idea of modelling a prototype location and the midland railway itself. The trains are exceptionally short and offer a degree of shunting in the adjacent siding. It's also achievable, with only one main building and uncomplex track work. However I would need to drum up some more traffic if I model the time around 1916 ish. 

 

Hampton Midland Goods Yard: 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/hamptoninardenjunction.htm 

At one end of the Stonebridge railway was a goods yard serving Hampton in Arden. The old engine shed for the Stonebridge railway was taken over by a timber merchant, giving interesting traffic. It's more complex when compared to Coleshill and therefore offers more shunting opportunities. Even so, in my limited space I'm not sure that I'd get enough in to make it operationally interesting. 

 

Something similar to the MS&LR's Ducie Street (Manchester) Goods Station. 

1402742906_Screenshot2019-05-04at23_41_24.png.5bd08d2e8ce2e36b59d7afaec867ed26.png

Although clearly too big for the space I have available, either a smaller similar prototype or a fictional, smaller version would provide plenty of shunting and a variety of rolling stock. I could set the warehouse facade against the backscene and then maximise the space available. 

 

1970s/1980s Parcels depot: 

A small previous passenger terminus converted into a parcels depot. Would allow me to use my Heljan 128. Other than shuffling GUV's around, what else would it entail? What other traffic would/could go through a parcels depot? 

 

Engineering works: 

Some kind of (possibly private owner industrial) railway serving various engineering facilities. Would allow a wide range of unusual wagon loads. Tall factory buildings and small locos would also create a good atmosphere. 

 

Minimilist option: 

Simply a single track line through the scene. Small cassette fiddle yards either side. Scenic section with undulating landscape, bridges, etc. Either based on a prototype or freelance. Maybe end of steam would give exceptionally short trains. 

 

Would love to hear your thoughts! 

 

Xander 

 

 

 

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Does something like this layout - Mason Street (Goods) - interest you at all (note that the track plan does change with time as he builds it if the general idea does interest)

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/143331-mason-street-goods-br-blue/

 

You mention your a student, perhaps the answer (depending on what limits not just in budget but in time) isn't a layout at all at this point?  You mention other parts of the hobby, so do you really feel you need a layout at this point or for the duration of your student time would it be sufficient just to work on the kit building part of the hobby?

 

Related, given your interests in hand built track and kit building, do you already have the tools needed for these tasks or are they going to need to come out of your limited budget?

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I'd suggest taking a look through some of Iain Rice's books on layout design, his design philosophy would suit many of your requirements.

 

Personally, I've found finding prototype locations that can fit on an 8' long shelf layout and offer interesting operation to be a challenge.  The awkwardness that makes shunting layouts fun was generally avoided in real life as it's inefficient. One way around this is to look at shunting puzzle layouts for the track plan, but use buildings from your chosen location to give a sense of place.

 

I find myself in the same position in that I have interest (and rolling stock) to suit a couple of different schemes, but as yet haven't decided which to progress (or at least which to do first).  My modelling time is limited, so I'm using it to build more stock and put off the decision.

 

Final point, you mention hand built track and kit building stock, have you considered EM or P4 or 2mmFS? I find the technical challenge of working in P4 to be very satisfying.

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12 hours ago, mdvle said:

Does something like this layout - Mason Street (Goods) - interest you at all (note that the track plan does change with time as he builds it if the general idea does interest)

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/143331-mason-street-goods-br-blue/

 

You mention your a student, perhaps the answer (depending on what limits not just in budget but in time) isn't a layout at all at this point?  You mention other parts of the hobby, so do you really feel you need a layout at this point or for the duration of your student time would it be sufficient just to work on the kit building part of the hobby?

 

Related, given your interests in hand built track and kit building, do you already have the tools needed for these tasks or are they going to need to come out of your limited budget?

 

That would be certainly the type of layout that I would be interested in if I go down the shunting layout style route. I get your point about the cost - this hobby is expensive but I really enjoy it so by taking my time and buying only what I really need, alongside scratch building what I can, helps to bring the costs down. Building a small layout itself isn't particularly expensive, it's usually the surrounding equipment and rolling stock that constitute the main costs. 

 

7 hours ago, Mark Forrest said:

I'd suggest taking a look through some of Iain Rice's books on layout design, his design philosophy would suit many of your requirements.

 

Personally, I've found finding prototype locations that can fit on an 8' long shelf layout and offer interesting operation to be a challenge.  The awkwardness that makes shunting layouts fun was generally avoided in real life as it's inefficient. One way around this is to look at shunting puzzle layouts for the track plan, but use buildings from your chosen location to give a sense of place.

 

I find myself in the same position in that I have interest (and rolling stock) to suit a couple of different schemes, but as yet haven't decided which to progress (or at least which to do first).  My modelling time is limited, so I'm using it to build more stock and put off the decision.

 

Final point, you mention hand built track and kit building stock, have you considered EM or P4 or 2mmFS? I find the technical challenge of working in P4 to be very satisfying.

 

I've dug through a couple of Rice's plans. They're very inspiring in that they have so much operational opportunity within such a small area. Your point about shunting layouts in general is very true; I guess that means that I would have to go for a freelance layout for anything operationally interesting or go for a prototype location for something more for a scenic and running perspective. Maybe I just build the minimalist option, with just a through track allowing me to run whatever stock I want to? Or a prototype location that has few enough changes over the years that I could run whatever year I want on the line, but with the correct stock? 

 

Haha don't give me any more encouragement for EM; I'm already on the edge! I wanted to go for 00-SF first because then I don't have to convert chassis, plus the requirements on how perfect my kit-building skills are, are not so stringent.  After I've gained the experience from that then I can decide whether the difference in EM is large enough for me to change. Just moving from 00 rtr track work to 00-SF handbuilt track makes a huge difference, so we'll see... 

 

Just out of interest, how did you move from the traditional gauges into Finescale?

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16 hours ago, xveitch said:

Just out of interest, how did you move from the traditional gauges into Finescale?

 

I didn’t really move from, to some extent it’s all I’ve ever known.  I had a 00 layout and some stock when I was a kid, but when I returned to the hobby (after a break of a few years following “other interests”) I made a start in EM.  My thought process was that if I stuck with 00, I’d be building my own pointwork anyway, at the time I had some old Lima diesels, which would have benefited from better wheels whether 00 or EM; so it seemed to make sense to switch to EM.

Fast forward a few years and I was planning a new project that wouldn’t use any of the existing EM stock I’d built up, so thought I’d try P4 for that.  It has added a technical challenge to building stuff and made me take extra care when assembling kits, which I enjoy.  Now fully committed to P4, can’t see any reason to go back.  My modelling has been predominantly diesels, so gauge conversions are (on the whole) straightforward, am now starting to build some steam locos, mainly because I had an urge to build some kits and develop those skills rather than me having a need for them on a layout!

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That MSLR goods depot looks like fun. Just build the approach trackwork and a shortened depot with enough room for a couple or three wagons and hide the other end by an over bridge.  Better still put the whole thing on a continuous run so the FY is the back of the oval.

3ft visible radius and 12" hidden. 0-4-0s and 1361/66 0-6-0Ts only great fun.

I am having very evil thoughts about doing this myself

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If you're kit building wagons and thinking of going to EM gauge,  I would suggest that you buy a set of EM wagon wheels, so that you can set the brake gear to EM and then swap back to 00, until you decide that the gauge change is for you, it's then only a matter of regauging your wheel sets.

 

 

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